Ex-Flight Attendant Charlotte May Lee faces 25 Years in Sri Lanka Prison

A 21-year-old British woman, Charlotte May Lee, has been arrested in Sri Lanka after allegedly attempting to smuggle a massive haul of synthetic drugs known as kush, worth an estimated £1.2 million.

Lee, a former flight attendant with TUI, was detained as she arrived from Thailand last Monday. Authorities claim her two suitcases were packed with 46 kilograms of kush — a dangerously potent synthetic drug cocktail that includes chemicals, opioids, and even human remains.

Originally from Surrey, Lee had reportedly flown to Thailand two weeks ago. Friends say she made vague remarks about meeting a man in the Far East. Her sudden arrest in Sri Lanka has left her family and loved ones in shock.

“We’re frantically worried. She’s been arrested and is now rotting in a jail cell. She’s very scared,” a family friend told The Sun on Sunday.

Another close contact added: “If convicted, she’s looking at 20 to 25 years in jail because of the scale of the drug bust. British Embassy officials have warned her she’s not leaving any time soon.”

What Is Kush?

Kush is a synthetic drug 25 times stronger than fentanyl, often made from a deadly mix of substances including heroin, meth, and even ground human bones. First seen in Sierra Leone around 2020, it has caused a public health crisis with thousands suffering from extreme addiction and mental health issues.

Between 2020 and 2023, kush-related psychiatric admissions surged by nearly 4,000% in Sierra Leone. Over 63% of current psychiatric patients are being treated for kush-related problems, prompting the government to set up national drug treatment centers.

A Pattern of Young British Women Caught Abroad

Lee’s case mirrors another recent arrest involving 18-year-old Bella Culley, who was caught with £200,000 worth of cannabis in Georgia. Bella had told her grandfather she was visiting a former boyfriend in the Philippines, but now the story is being questioned.

Both arrests have raised concerns over young Britons being lured into international drug smuggling, often under unclear circumstances involving romantic partners.